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Transmitting new ideas
Page 97
Page 98
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Few motor shows anywhere will have seen as much innovation in commercial vehicle transmissions as is evident at Birmingham this year. Microprocessor control in various forms figures prominently, as Tim Blakemore discovered. The search for economies of scale in manufacturing continues apace, with plenty of collaborative ventures
on Transmission Services
Stand 439 (ON of Wakefield took over e Maxwell bus transmission isiness from the Brockhouse oup less than one month ago M, September 22), but is not issing the opportunity to ;play two of the Maxwell arboxes at Birmingham. One an angle drive type suitable r Bristol VRT buses, for ample. The other provides a -eight through drive as fitted the new Dennis Domino midi Is.
Avon's display also includes 9 product lines for which it is st known, namely replaceant parts for Self Changing iars epicyclic transmissions d a range of replacement rts for gearboxes manufac.ed by such companies as ZF, Scania and Ford.
ma Europe Stand 510 NA is the parent corporation the Spicer Drivetrain Group )ich this year has new procts to exhibit from each of its anufacturing divisions.
Spicer Transmissions is uniling its new 40 Series, midige gearbox (described in 4, October 6 and 13). The OW model is a fully synchroash, five-speed prototype th a nominal torque capacity
500Nm (400Ibft). The 40 ries range will later include :, nine, 10 and 12-speed gearxes, range-change and split:, all using the same pressure
cast alloy main casing. This ige of gearboxes is the first ,m Spicer to use pressed jh-tensile steel shift rails and :ks.
rhe 310 and 350 clutches are hter in weight than Spicer's rlier models, but have higher :que capacities, designed to itch the increasingly power1 engines of modern ddleweight vehicles. A cerac friction material is set to be e standard on the latest icer clutches.
ipicer's new "half round" ingeless propellor shaft uplings are already being fitted to Leyland's Roadrunner and to Caterpillar loaders. Many other European manufacturers may soon specify them for the weight saving they can give. This is about 3.6kg per joint, compared with a conventional commercial vehicle prop shaft companion flange joint with 12 bolts.
Vehicle assembly and repair times can also be reduced with the new design of prop shaft coupling.
The two other new products on the Dana stand are related to power take-offs. The 271 series Spicer pto is fitted with an EOC (engine overdrive control) which, it is claimed, gives it "total protection" from operator abuse.
Spicer's new composite laminate gasket for pto's makes backlash adjustment a thing of the past. The manufacturer says that, provided the pto fasteners are tightened to their correct torque, the gasket will be compressed enough to provide an accurate backlash setting. Detroit Diesel Allison DETROIT Diesel Allison has six Allison automatic gearboxes on its stand, three of them cutaway to allow closer inspection. But probably the most interesting exhibit on this stand is the new ATEC electronic transmission control system. This will be available initially on the V730 model, which will then be designated V731.
The GM subsidiary, which has been using electronic controls of different kinds on offroad transmissions since the late Sixties, describes ATEC (Allison Transmission Electronic Control) as "the most significant design advance in the history of Allison transmissions".
The microprocessor which is at its heart is a modified version of the unit used in GM's automatic cars. A significant feature of this electronic control unit is a programmable readonly memory chip (PROM) which makes it easy for the gearbox's operation to be tailored to different requirements.
Eaton EATON's stand this year bristles with new products. Some are not due to go into production for several years but others, such as the 'New Family' range of gearboxes developed jointly with lveco, are months rather than years away.
There are six models in the Eaton/lveco gearbox range with torque capacities from 407814Nm (300-600 lbft). Like Dana Spicer's 40 Series range, which clearly will be a major competitor in the next few years, the new Eaton models have a lightweight aluminium-alloy main case and were designed with maximum component rationallmotion in mind.
Two models from the synchromesh range are on display, a 3105 five-speed gearbox with a torque cepecity of 390-490Nrr (290-360 lbft), and a 4106 six speed unit intended to match engines In the 100-200 bhp category. Its torque capacity is 570-090Nm (420-510 lbft).
Eaton has examples of its Twin Splitter and AMT (automated mechanical transmission) on public display for the first time at this show. Both of these projects were described In CM, July 21. The Twin Splitter exhibited is a 4x3 unit. It comprises a four-ration main gearbox section with a threegear train splitter section at the rear. The main advantage of the Twin Splitter design is that it greatly reduces the number of whole gear lever shifts needed and almost alt gearshifts can be effected without declutching.
Eaton's AMT concept — a conventional mechanical constant mesh gearbox with all gearchanging and clutch modulation controlled by a microprocessor — promises to be the gearbox of the future. The big questions which remain unanswered are: which categories of vehicles will adopt this type of transmission? And, what level of automation will operators require?
Eaton's comprehensive display this year also includes a new range of power take-offs, examples of precision forged gears from its Cramlington plant, and various viscous fan drives from its Fluid Power Operations. The latter products are of particular interest, following news of Eaton's acquisition of the Ho'set fan drive business.
lipe-Rollway Stand 476 LIPE Clutches is exhibiting a complete new range of high torque clutch discs and a range of single plate clutch packs. The 13in standard duty ceramic clutch becomes a three-paddle unit. A four-peddle disc for heavier duty applications now has a stronger damper section and the 141n twin-plate packs have also been beefed up. The 151/2in twin-plate packs are now available with six-paddle ceramic, organic or non-asbestos facings, Rockwell International THE CENTREPIECE of Rockwell's display comprises six different versions of the new CVC drive axle, production of which began at the Cameri plant in Italy, owned jointly by Rockwell and lveco, in February this year. lveco has become the first manufacturer to use one of the CVC single-reduction, hypoiddrive axles with its Turbostar range.
The all-metric axles produced at Cameri are suitable for vehicles with gross weights from 18 to 44 tonnes.
Another product new to Europe on the Rockwell stand is its Paymaster automatic slack adjuster for cam expanded brakes, which now is manufactured in West Germany. This component has been used in the USA for some time and its European introduction was prompted partly by SAB's incursion into the American market.
Rockwell claims market leadership in the USA with its range of universal joints and propeller shafts. Now the giant component manufacturer says it is ready to introduce a new range of these to Europe to complement Its body compomanta, chassis frame assemblies and axle housings all of which are on display at Birmingham, Von Engineering Stand 417 VOITH reckons that by the time this year's Show opens It will have sold some 0,000 automatic transmissions in total to British bus and coach manufacturers.
Customers include MetroCommaII Weyman, Hestair Dennis, Leyland Bus, Volvo and GAC (Shannon).
The D854 G, a development of the D854, is on show for the first time. It has a direct top (fourth) gear ratio and is suited to high speed inter-city coaches. All G models of Voith gearboxes now have integral retarders and a refinement is now available (standard on all new transmissions), which will enable the retarder to continue to operate until the vehicle is almost completely stationary.
Another standard feature of the latest Voith control system prevents drive engagement if the engine speed is above idle, and it is possible to make the control disengage the transmission automatically after prolonged idling in order to save fuel.
The latest developments to the VHBK 130 separate retarder on display on the Voith stand include compatibility with antilock braking systems, and a control system which automatically reduces braking torque if the engine's cooling system becomes overworked. ZF Owe Stand 411
ZF has on display five common.dial vehicle transmissions, two bus and coach axles, and a host of steering products, including one of a new genera' tin of recirculating ball steering box.
The Ecomid, mid-range gearbox family has not been to a UK show before. The Model on display is the 95 109, ninespeed synchromesh gearbox with Integral splitter. Its maximum input torque rating is 1,100Nm (811 lbft).
The 56-36, six-speed gearbox is already quite familiar here and is fitted, for example, in Leyland's Freighter range.